Works Update - Click for progress on the extension project serving the Wildfowl Reserve
This page details maintenance and upgrade works on Bentley Railway undertaken by Uckfield Model Railway Club Ltd members.
Summer 2010
3 July 2010
New and improved battery storage and charging facilities now complete
May 2010
The re-sleepering of the existing circuit has been completed
18 April 2010
The new level crossing gates are now hung in location ready to be wired
10 April 2010
A new signal gantry at Horsted Yard has been installed today and features theatre lights for both the primary line and the line from the turntable to the carriage shed. At the same time additional works upgrading some of the steaming bays was being undertaken
Winter 2010
21 March 2010
The old level crossing gates and conrete base are being removed to make way for new semi-automatic level crossing gates to be installed
Autumn 2009
The current major projects we are working on are itemised below:
Improve Glyndebourne Wood Station access and drainage - complete
Continue re-sleepering of main circuit to bring all sleepers up to latest standard - ongoing
Renovate Bentley Central pointwork and mechanisms - ongoing
Renovate remaining original signals and change to LED illumination - complete
Renovate all carriages, replacing bearings etc where appropriate. - complete
Relay Bentley Central Platform slabs
Strip & Repaint wooden surfaces at Bentley Central - complete
20 August 2009 - Following 3 days very hard labour, Glyndebourne Wood station platform and main running line has been lifted and relaid along with revised fencing
9 August 2009 - Painting at Bentley Central is progressing well with the signal box now completely stripped of paint and primed ready for gloss to be applied
25 June 2009 - Bentley Central Signal Box has now been stripped of paint and made good on 2 sides. Meanwhile, track sleeper replacements are progressing well with a further 4 panels relaid today with the objective of completing the Glyndebourne Wood cutting before 18th July.
7 June 2009 - All of the above major projects are making gradual progress. A new task has also been added to the above list, today saw the completion of the first stage of a long overdue task, the repainting of all timber work. The carriage sheds at Horstead Yard are now respendant in bright green
14 May 2009 - Glyndebourne Wood bay platform has now been relaid, as has the main line north of the level crossing. Ground works in Glyndebourne Wood entrance (see Otober 2008 entry below) are also nearing completion. The new tram unit is now in regular use and paint maintenance is progressing well.
10 May 2009 - The Bay platform at Glyndebourne wood is now nearly ready to receive trains again, the signalling ductwork previously under the track here has now been removed and drainage duct installed. All new ballast has been laid all that's needed now is to return the track panels.
11 Apr 2009 - Track re-laying is progressing well, the steaming bays have today been cleared and levelled which should allow the bays to be extended, offering new opportunities for maintenance. This weekend also saw the first public passenger runs with our new tram unit as documented on the News page. Meanwhile, Glyndebourne Wood station is now back open although works to finalise the area are still underway.
24 Mar 2009 - Track re-laying has now almost reached the already completed inner loop with just 7 panels to go, so should be completed before easter. Meanwhile the access to Glyndebourne Wood station from the woods is progressing well with the land profiling now nearing completion. Finally, we have taken delivery of two more refurbished LED signal heads this week leaving just 3 to complete.
12 Mar 2009 - Track re-laying is progressing well. almost all of the main circuit north of the level crossing has now been relaid as can be seen from the below photo.
8 Feb 2009 - Bentley Central Platform B (non-passenger) has now been commissioned with a slabbed area to facilitate testing of locos and rolling stock without interrupting passenger flow. You can also see in the foreground of the below photos the first part of our new rainwater storage facility which we hope to utilise in efforts to extend the life of loco boilers in an environmentally friendly manner - no mains water required. Preliminary water quality testing has indicated a dramatic reduction in TDS (total dissolved solids) compared to tap water.
16 Jan 2009 - The cold weather has delayed works somewhat (not helped by the resultant dual burst pipes either).
We have however taken delivery of a sizeable no. sleepers and track ballast recently which kept the team warm as can be seen from the photos below.
For details of previous engineering works, please see our archive.
